Another Dhangar leader Uttamrao Jankar in focus in Maharashtra: BJP, NCP(SP) eyeing his support

In the rapidly changing political scene in Madha, after Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil quit the BJP to contest as an NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidate against sitting BJP MP Ranjitsinh Nimbalkar, there is a race among the two fronts to attract local leaders with public influence to their respective sides.

The BJP candidate and party legislators rushed Uttamrao to Nagpur on Monday to meet Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis but failed to placate the Dhangar leader.

On Tuesday, Uttamrao and NCP (SP) Madha candidate Mohite-Patil met Sharad Pawar to discuss the possibility of coming together. “A few of my supporters wanted to work with NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, so I met with the veteran leader. My supporters and those hat of Mohite-Patil have been rivals for long and worked against each other. We want justice for the community and I will talk to all my workers on the discussion held with Fadanavis and Pawar. Thereafter, a final decision on whom to support for will be taken,” he said.

Mohite-Patil said Pawar asked to Uttamrao bury the differences and work together. “We are in discussion so lets see what happens in future,” he said.

Mahadev Jankar is the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) chief with influence on Dhangar community. An old ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), he was upset over being ignored by the BJP and had almost forged alliance with the NCP (SP), which offered him the Madha seat. The NCP (SP) hoped to reap the benefit in Baramati and Solapur seats which have a substantial population of the Dhangar community. But he was overnight grabbed by the Mahayuti alliance and was given the Parbhani seat to contest Lok Sabha elections 2024. (https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/rsp-chief-mahadev-jankar-ncp-mahayuti-maharashtra-9231957/)